Guard-rail clamp



oc't. 23,19z3. musas R. D. GALLAGHER GUARD RAIL CLAMP Filed March s, 1922 /9 /7 y fia m' 2j l Patented ct. 23, 1923.

ir; STATES Laisse RICHARD D; GALLAGHER', or CHICAGO, LLINoIs. l

GUARDRAIL CLAMP.

. applicati@ med March 3, 1922. vseran No. 54o,747.

Tok all fw 7mm t may concern V.Be it known that I, RICHARD D. GAL- rennen, a citizen of the United States, resid ingat Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Guard-Rail Cla1nps,of which the following-is a specifica-- tion.

'My inventionrelates to rail clamps, and particularly to clamps suitable for guard rails, which clamps require no Cotter pins .n or keys, and which are adaptable for apv j of the rails in the clamp for purposes of alignment.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide an effective,strong and durable clamp for fastening` a guard rail to a track rail a with-out the use of spikes which clamp includes a yoke and means cooperating with the yoke whereby a yoke may be used `with rails of different cross-sections, weights and dimensions thereby eliminating` special yokes for rails of various sizes.

A further object of the invention 1s to provide a Vclamp lfor securing guard rails to track rails including a yoke adapted'to underlie the rails and having upturned ends and wedge means vcooperating with the ends of the yoke for gripping the rails the wedge ends having a plurality of parallel surfaces inclined to the horizontal.

A further object of the invention is to improve guard rail clamps for general, successful commercial use.

Generally speaking, I carry out the preferred embodiment of the invention by employing a yoke of cast metal having jaws which are sufficiently far apart to rece-ive therebetween a track rail and a guard rail and the clamps of my invention.

The above recited and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the followv` ing description and drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure l is an elevational view of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

vFigure 2 is an elevational view similar to rFigure l, showing certain of the elements comprising the clamp of my invention, and

Figure Sis a perspectiveview'of the rail brace'employed. Y n

The yoke 5 is substantially U shape inV elevation and is made preferably ofcast metal. The yoke has jaws 6 and 7' spaced sufficiently to permit the reception vofftraek rail A and a guard rail B, together with the necessary means for fastening the rails inthe yoke. This clamp vis adapted to be applied to the rails between the ties and is inno manner fastened to the ties. The jaw 7 has an inclined surface which inclines outwardy from top to bottom; a lug` 9,y preferably squarey in cross section, projectsfrom the surface l0. A block 11 is provided hav-1 ing a square opening therein for receiving the lug 9, which block isy adapted to rest against the inclined surfacey 10i, when the guard rail B isr in position'in the yoke'. This block 1l forms a. bearing for the guard rail asshown in F igure l. Between the` track and guard rails,-` spacers l2 yand A13 are provided for purposes well understood.

The clamp of my invention consists in forming the jaw 6 with a downwardly inclined surface 16, `similarly inclined surface 16a parallel to the surface l16,l but in inclined surfaces with a sub'stantiallyy horizontal surface 16".` "These are shown in dotted line in Fig-urev 2. `A boltlS is secured, in the jaw 6 in any suitable manner, either ay casting the bolt when the yoke is made yor by providing a slot 26, which is in width equal to the width of the head of bolt and receives the bolt to prevent turning of the same therein. In Figure 3 a rail brace is shown having` inclined surface 2l and 22. an elongated centrally disposed opening' 19 therein, and shoulders 23 and 24 which when in position against the track rail A bear against the under side of the head and the top of the base, respectively. A nut 20 may be applied after the brace is in position to force the brace against the rail. The

vmanner of applying the rail clamp of Amy.

invention is as follows: Yoke 5 is applied from underneath the rails and the block ll placed in position against the` guard railB. The separator bl0cks'l2 and 13 are then applied and moved relatively to each other to securethe proper space between the track and 'guard rails A and B, whereupon a differentV plane rand vconnecting@these Y the rail brace 17 is applied over the bolt 18 as shown in Figure l and the Ynut 20 yoke. The brace'is guided .between flanges,

6a and 6? so asto be held against lateralvdisplacement under wedging action. f If alignment Vof therrail A is desired `the bolt may be lunfastened and the separator Y members k12 and 13 adjusted to properly align rail A, whereupon tightening the nut 2G will clamp the rail firmly in position in the yoke. Y l It will benoted that the guard rail clamp of my invention eliminates cotter pins and keys and that the yoke is adaptable for all standard sections of T rails. The clamp is positive in operation, easily applied, adjusted and removed, and permits movement of the rails therein for purposesA of alignment. The use of the inclined planes in the rail brace and yoke jaw insure quick and positive action of adjustment and locking andsccurely fastens the several parts against displacement.

VVhi'le I have described more or less precisely the det-ails of construction of my in-y vention, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto as I contemplate changes inform and proportion of parts and the substitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or render expedient without departing from the spirit of my invention.' y

I claim:

1. A guard rail clamp including a yoke adapted to underlie a track rail and a guard rail and having upwardly directed ends, one of said ends being formed with two parallel surfaces inclined to the horizontal, a wedge member having similar parallel ,and

inclined surfaces for cooperating with said ends, and means for moving said wedge on said yoke for clamping purposes.y

2. A guard railclamp including a substantially Ushaped yoke adapted to receive a track rail and a guard rail, one of the ends of said yoke being adapted for engaging a rail, the other end of the yoke being formed with two surfaces which are in parallel lplanes and inclined to the horizontal, a

wedge having similarly inclined surfaces for cooperating with said end, adjustable separators adapted to be inserted between said rails, and means carried by said yoke for causing movement of said Wedge en said yoke end for effecting clamping engagement of said clamp with said rails.

3. A guard rail clamp including a yoke adapted tounderlie a track rail and a guard rail, said yoke arranged with its ends extending upwardly, a filler carried by one end of the yoke ladapted to rest against one of said rails, the other end of said yoke having a plurality of parallel surfaces which arc inclined to the horizontal, and a wedge member having similarly inclined surfaces for cooperating with said yoke for engaging the other of said rails, and means associated with said yoke for actuating said wedge member for clamping purposes.

4f. A guard rail clamp including a yoke having one end formed to provide two surfaces which are parallel and inclined to the horizontal, a wedge member having similar surfaces and cooperating therewith, and means for moving said member on said surfaces for clamping rails against the other end of said yoke.

vSigned at Chicago, of February, 1922.

RICHARD D. GALLAGHER.

Illinois, this 23rd day 

